A Democratic Louisiana state senator fled from a TV reporter on Wednesday as he tried to ask her questions about her claim on the Senate floor that opponents of President Barack Obama's signature health care overhaul law are motivated by the color of his skin.

Karen Carter Peterson, who also chairs the Louisiana Democratic Party, claimed Monday that opposition to Obamacare is 'about the race of this African-American president.'

'It's not about how many federal dollars we can receive. It's not about that,' she told her fellow lawmakers.

'You ready? It's about race. No, nobody wants to talk about that. It’s about the race of this African-American president.'

But when WBRZ-TV2 reporter Ryan Naquin tried to ask her about those comments, she dashed down a set of stairs and ran into an area of the state capitol where he couldn't follow her.

Naquin said during his broadcast report that when he sent Peterson a written request for comment, she was seen taking it off her desk and throwing it in the garbage.

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Karen Carter Peterson (C), pictured with Barack and Michelle Obama, runs the Louisiana Democratic Party. She said on the floor of the state Senate that 'the race of this African-American president' explained widespread opposition to his healthcare overhaul law

Peterson made her comments during a Senate floor speech, quickly drawing condemnation from Republicans and conspicuous silence from Democrats

Peterson (center, in red) ran, literally, from news cameras when a reporter asked her about her suggestion that only racists oppose Obamacare

As evidence for her claim of racism, Peterson said Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich once proposed 'this same thing' - an individual health care mandate. She quickly walked that claim back, however, saying that Gingrich's proposal was merely 'similar' to Obama's.

But she insisted that opposition to Obama's Affordable Care Act 'comes down to the race of the president of the United States, which causes people to disconnect and step away from the substance of the bill.

The latest pollon Obamacare's popularity, a survey by CNN and Opinion Research Corp. released May 27, showed that 54 per cent of Americans oppose it, down from 59 per cent while the bill was being debated in Congress. Just 43 per cent support the law, which will take full effect in 2014.

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (L) slammed Peterson for 'name-calling' and 'calling people a racist,' and asked for an apology. State Sen. Elbert Guillory (R) said, 'Some decks have only one card in it, and that's the race card'

Peterson's Wikipedia entry was quietly edited on Thursday to read for several hours that she has 'embarrassed' - not 'represented' - Louisiana's '5th DIstrict since 2010'

'The suggestion that more than half of the people in Louisiana are racist because of their concerns is absurd,' National Republican Senatorial Committee spokeswoman Brook Hougesen told The Washington Post.

Tying the dustup to national politics, Hougesen added that Peterson's statement also 'raises serious questions about where [Sen.] Mary Landrieu stands.'

'Landrieu cast the deciding vote to make Obamacare law, and she owes it to voters to weigh in on the offensive comments made by the head of her Democratic party.'

'There's a way to have that debate' about Obamacare, he said. 'There's a way to express your opinion without name calling, without calling people a racist.'

'I'd hope the senator would apologize. I'd hope she'd go to the well and retract her comments.'

Jindal and other Republican governors oppose Obamacare because expanding their states' Medicaid programs with federal dollars would put added pressure on state budgets when those dollars disappear in later years.

When Ryan Naquin, a reporter with WBRZ-TV2 in Baton Rouge, ran after Peterson to ask her about her comments, she dashed down a set of stairs and ran into an area of the state capitol where journalists are not allowed

State Sen. Elbert Guillory, a Democrat, told WBRZ that he opposes Obamacare - but he's no racist.

And, he noted wryly, 'Not only am I African-American, I'm black.'

'Some decks have only one card in it, and that's the race card,' Guillory said. 'And I'm so sick of hearing it.'

An unknown vandal changed Peterson's Wikipedia entry on Thursday, replacing a single word so it began, 'Karen Carter Peterson (born November 1, 1969) is an African American Democratic member of the Louisiana State Senate, having embarrassed the 5th District since 2010.'

The article was quickly returned to its original text.

Peterson claimed that former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich once proposed 'this same thing' in the past without widespread opposition. She quickly modified that comment, however, saying that his health care plan was merely 'similar' to Obama's

Peterson (R), then a state Rep. named Karen Carter, lost her 2006 race for Congress against the incumbent Democrat William Jefferson. She conceded the race next to her then-fiancee, Dana Peterson (L)

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Watch a Louisiana legislator RUN from a TV camera, after she claimed people who oppose Barack Obama's health care law are motivated by racism